Pritzker Unveils 75-Page Federal Policy Road Map
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker's Day One Agenda urges Congress to act on immigration, digital protection and the federal minimum wage.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Employment
Live Poll
Should Congress raise the federal minimum wage above $7.25 per hour?
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker published a 75-page policy road map titled 'Fighting for Illinois: The Day One Agenda' for the incoming Congress. The document includes policy and funding recommendations that could affect all states.
Why it matters
The agenda signals how Illinois's governor intends to press federal lawmakers on issues that affect state budgets and residents. Pritzker is also renewing his call for Congress to raise the federal minimum wage above $7.25 per hour.
The federal minimum wage stands at $7.25 per hour, while Illinois's minimum wage is $15 per hour for employees at least 18 years old. Congressional action on the agenda's proposals has not yet been scheduled.
The players
JB Pritzker
Pritzker is the Democratic governor of Illinois who won a third term and is widely seen as a potential 2028 presidential contender.
The details
The road map, titled 'Fighting for Illinois: The Day One Agenda,' calls for legislative limits on warrantless civil immigration arrests and restrictions on immigration enforcement agreements between the federal government and local law enforcement. It also proposes that Congress enact a comprehensive digital protection framework.
Timeline
Over the summer, Pritzker directed deputy governors and state agencies to analyze the most harmful federal decisions and funding cuts.
On November 4, Pritzker published the Day One Agenda road map, following his third-term win on November 3.
Economic Policy Context
Illinois's $15 minimum wage sits more than double the federal $7.25 floor set under the Fair Labor Standards Act, a gap Pritzker is using to press Congress. The agenda extends a pattern of states setting higher wage standards than federal law requires.
Illinois workers earning the state's $15 minimum wage would see no change from the federal push unless Congress acts on the floor. Workers earning the federal $7.25 rate would be directly affected if Congress raises the national minimum.
The takeaway
The agenda shows how state leaders are using their own wage and policy standards as leverage in federal debates. Readers should watch whether Congress takes up the minimum wage proposal in the coming session.
Further reading
For related coverage of wage policy, see the Employment section.
Live Poll
Should Congress raise the federal minimum wage above $7.25 per hour?
